What’s covered during a stay at a drug addiction rehab center? Are specific services charged extra? What are some of the basic treatments? We review what you can expect during drug rehab here. Then, we invite your questions about drug rehab centers at the end.
Basic info on drug addiction rehab
Addiction treatment aims to help chemically and psychologically addicted individuals stop compulsive drug seeking and use. Total abstinence from drugs and new lifestyle patterns are the goal of rehab. The specific type of treatment or combination of treatments will vary depending on the patient’s individual needs and, often, on the types of drugs they use. Main interventions are:
1. Pharmacological (Rx medicines)
2. Psychological and behavioral therapies
3. A combination of both
What does drug rehab look like? Treatment can occur in a variety of settings, take many different forms, and last for different lengths of time. Drug rehab is typically divided into short term stay and long term stay.
- Short term drug rehab = 90 days residential, or less
- Long term drug rehab = 3 months – 1 year, or more
Because drug addiction is typically a chronic disorder characterized by occasional relapses, a short-term, one-time treatment is usually not sufficient. For many people, this is why addiction treatment is a long-term process that involves multiple interventions and regular monitoring.
Drug addiction rehab costs
Costs depend on the type of addiction treatment and services you need. Drug addiction rehab centers offer a range of services from the less expensive outpatient rehab to residential settings, where people live for 4 to 6 weeks or longer to get the help they need.
- Outpatient drug addiction rehab – The typical cost for outpatient addiction treatment is around $10,000.
- Residential drug addiction rehab – Residential alcohol and drug rehab ranges between $20,000 to $32,000 depending on the level of services needed.
Additional services such as counseling for other issues, prescriptions, etc. are charged separately when needed. Much of this addiction treatment cost can be covered by insurance or with some financial assistance.
Low cost drug addiction rehab
Lack of financial resources is one of the most common barriers to addiction treatment; however there are many low cost options of what individuals can take advantage. You can look into using state/dedera vouchers for addiction treatment by calling your State’s Department of Health and Social SErvices. Or you can reach out to individual rehabs and ask about sliding scale or payment plan options. Here are some addiction resources you can check out for low cost drug addiction services:
- SAMHSA Treatment Facility Locator
- NCADD (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence)
- SMART Recovery
Drug addiction rehab stages
When starting treatment in an addiction rehab, you must complete a diagnostic evaluation that will be used to create your personal treatment plan. The evaluation and treatment plan are used to determine the types, level and intensity of services you will receive. The treatment plan is also used to manage the course of the treatment over time.
The stages of drug addiction treatment can include:
- Detox and withdrawal
- Pharmacological therapy (medications)
- Individual therapy
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
- Ongoing drug testing
- Case management
- Support services
Detox and withdrawal – Potentially serious medical consequences can occur when you abruptly stop using drugs or dramatically lower dosage. A physician often supervises this process to prevent serious complications and to help alleviate symptoms of withdrawal with medications. Detox is the first step in seeking help for drug addiction, but needs to be followed by psychological treatment.
Pharmacological Therapy – Some patients receive medication to help decrease the physical craving for drugs. By relieving the symptoms, medications allow persons with addictions to participate more easily in other aspects of treatment.
Individual Therapy – Typically, individuals will work with a professional therapist to explore factors that contribute to the compulsive use of drugs in order to cope with life. The goal of indivisual therapy is to uncover beliefs, thoughts, or unhealthy patterns and to find new ways of coping. Many therapeutic approaches exist, and dealing with trauma is best accomplished in individual therapy.
Group Therapy – Most chemical dependence treatment providers make professionally led group counseling or therapy a central part of treatment. By offering mutual support, these sessions allow participants to use the group format to share insights, reinforce member therapeutic gains, and to exert group accountability on individual behavior. Often, group therapy is provided to individuals who share some common experience or unresolved issue such as trauma survivors, gender specific focus, criminal justice involvement, parenting focus, etc.
Family Therapy – Because chemical dependence strains and sometimes fractures important family relationships, treatment programs may offer – directly or through referral – services to strengthen family functioning and promote family reunification. These include a wide range of services depending on the individual’s circumstances and could include family counseling, parenting education, childcare, and services to prevent or respond to domestic violence, trauma, or child abuse.
Ongoing Drug Testing – Toxicology screening and monitoring are use to check a person’s levels of drugs or alcohol in the body. Generally, this is accomplished through urine, blood and breath testing. For people who are court ordered to attend drug rehab, reporting back to the judge will likely required.
Case Management – Most people who go to drug addiction rehab have complex needs that extend beyond the specific chemical dependence services. For example, people may need help with:
- childcare or child welfare
- court advocacy
- housing
- transportation
Drug addiction rehab centers often work with you to arrange these critical services, make referrals, and assist in the exchange of vital information with other human service agencies.
Supplemental Services – Normally, drug rehab centers also monitor other health conditions and diseases. Treatment programs are especially alert for certain diseases that are common among drugs users (ssexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS). Additional services can include vocational/job skills enhancement or life skills education.
Drug addiction rehab protocol
Over time and study, some key principles have emerged that should form the basis of any effective rehab program. Research shows that combining treatment medications (where available) with behavioral therapy is the best way to ensure success for most patients. Further, drug addiction treatment approaches must be tailored to address each patient’s drug use patterns and medical, psychiatric, and social problems. Other major these in drug addiction rehab include:
Addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior.
- No single treatment is appropriate for everyone.
- Counseling is the most commonly used form of treatment.
- Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective.
- Treatment needs to be readily available.
- Effective treatment attends to multiple needs.
- Adequate periods of time for treatment are critical.
- Medications are most effective when combined with counseling and other behavioral therapies.
- A person’s treatment and services plan must be assessed continually and modified, as needed.
- Co-occuring mental disorders are common among drug users.
- Medically assisted detoxification by itself does little to change long-term drug abuse.
- Drug use during treatment must be monitored continuously.
Drug addiction rehab questions
We encourage you to ask questions and get informed before your choose a drug rehab center and program for yourself or for a loved one. There are many specialized types of rehab that may fit your needs perfectly (eg. faith-based drug rehabilitation for Christians, LGBT, teenagers, the elderly, etc.) If you have any other questions, please post them in the comments section below and we will try to provide a personal and prompt answer.
Reference Sources: NIH: What is drug addiction treatment?
NIH: Treatment and Recovery
NIH: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction
New York State Department of Health: What is Addiction Treatment?
NASAIC: Low Cost Drug Rehab
Related Posts